Country Nr 64 – Montenegro – exploring the amazing Bay of Kotor

Country 64/196: Montenegro
Destinations: Budva, Sveti Stefan, Lovćen, Kotor, Perast
Honeymoon in Montenegro

Montenegro is known for its rich history, delicious Adriatic cuisine, awesome nightlife, rugged mountains, lush forests, pristine lakes, stunning beaches surrounded by mountains, and its picturesque Mediterranean coastline with the many medieval fairytale towns. ♥

Things to see and things to do

Montenegro offers a lot of diversity, however, this time around we decided to explore Montenegro’s amazing coastline, including the iconic Bay of Kotor, and to visit some of the most romantic medieval towns in a rocky embrace. During our stay, we managed to visit some of the most beautiful places in this part of the country.

Budva

Budva is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast – it is over 2500 years old. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Montenegro. It’s famous for its beautiful sandy beaches, amazing nightlife, vibrant atmosphere, and very old and very well-preserved stone walls surrounding the medieval old town (Stari Grad).
The walls around the picturesque narrow streets which were built by the Venetians, attract a lot of history lovers. Exploring the old city center is definitely a must-do, as this part of the city offers some of the most beautiful sights.
If you want to party, Budva is the place to go! There are countless clubs and beach festivals in Budva and both the locals and the visitors sure know how to have fun!
There are many popular beaches in and near Budva, including Mogren beach, Slav beach, Bečići beach, and Jaz beach. All of those are lovely beaches but in our opinion, they’re a bit overcrowded.
Also, make sure to visit some waterfront restaurants, as they serve delicious food. 😉

View over Budva

Budva fortress

Budva, Montenegro

Budva bay

Budva old town

Budva historic center

Budva, Becici beach

Sveti Stefan

This small islet and 5-star hotel resort, which is connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus is considered the most exclusive area of the coast. With its scenic round shape, old (yet carefully renovated) architecture, and the two lovely beaches, it is definitely a must-see on the coast of Montenegro. Due to the fascinating islet on one side and rugged mountains on the other side, we liked this particular beach the most. 🙂

Sveti Stefan, Montenegro

Sveti Stefan beach

Sveti Stefan honeymoon

Lovćen

Lovćen is an iconic mountain near the Bay of Kotor. The mountain (1,749 m) offers many great hiking trails, endemic plants, panoramic views overlooking the bay, the coastal area, and the rest of the country, and the hilltop Mausoleum of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš – a very famous Prince-Bishop, poet, and philosopher. Lovćen is the ‘Black Mountain’ after which Montenegro got its name and it’s considered the ‘heart’ of the country. The winding road to the hilltop also offers some amazing views so make sure not to miss anything along the way. 😉

Lovcen Montenegro

Mount Lovcen

Mount Lovcen Mausoleum

Lovcen view over Bay of Kotor

Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

Island of Flowers

The Island of Flowers (also known as Miholjska prevlaka) is an island near the town of Tivat, in the Bay of Kotor. It is known for its many flowers (although nowadays there are fewer flowers than a few decades ago), a monastery from the 13th century, and for people living in bungalows.

Kotor

Kotor is obviously the heart of the Bay of Kotor. The Bay of Kotor actually consists of two bays – the inner and the outer (closer to the open sea) and Kotor is well hidden in the inner bay. It is a very old and very beautiful fortified town located on the shore of the bay. The medieval city center is famous for its rich history, lively yet relaxed atmosphere, spectacular rocky surroundings, narrow streets, lovely squares, and amazing architecture. An evening stroll through the old town may be one of the most romantic experiences ever. Also make sure to check out some of the town’s main attractions, like the Kotor Cathedral, St. John fortress, and the Maritime Museum, to visit some vibrant cafés and to dine in a good restaurant, where they serve local food.
Kotor is simply wonderful. After all, not everywhere one can swim in the sea while admiring the majestic surrounding mountains.

Kotor, Montenegro

Kotor old town

Kotor city center

Perast

Perast is another picturesque town in the Bay of Kotor. In our humble opinion, Perast is even more magical than its better-known neighbor – Kotor. It’s overlooking the iconic artificial island of Our Lady of the Rocks featuring a gorgeous church with blue and orange rooftops, which is also considered one of the bay’s main landmarks. Take a walk along the shore of Perast, admire the fantastic nature and architecture and you will see for yourself! 😉

Perast, Montenegro

Best of Montenegro

Where to eat?

In Kostanjica, a small town right on the edge between the inner and the outer bay, there is a fabulous restaurant called Verige65. The modern, elegantly designed restaurant by the sea offers a wonderful view over the bay and its many scenic places. It is the perfect place to observe cruise ships and yachts passing by. Verige65 also offers delicious food inspired by local, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and eastern Asian cuisine.

In Budva, right on the beach, there is an awesome restaurant known as Pivnica Nik Gold. It is known for its special colorful design, picturesque decor, relaxed atmosphere, live music, and great food. We ordered a big seafood platter and the food was fresh and tasty. The service was great and the entire experience was simply wonderful.

If you are looking for a simple place with tasty local cuisine and a homey vibe, then Atlantic restaurant in Bečići is the place to visit. We loved the cozy terrace and the finger-licking good seafood.

Where to stay

All of the places we have visited are very tourist-friendly and therefore there are all kinds of different accommodation options to be found throughout the coast of Montenegro.

We were staying at the wonderful Hotel Chill and Go in Budva. The hotel is located close to the city center, yet far enough from the constant buzz of the vibrant city. It offers modern, comfortable and spacious apartments, a lovely swimming pool, and a fantastic view over Budva. Free parking is also included.

Are you planning a trip to Montenegro? Here you can get a room with a 10% discount! 🙂

Budget

While Montenegro is not a very rich country, the prices for visitors tend to be rather costly. However, you can save a lot of money by choosing your accommodation, restaurants, and activities wisely. Accommodation prices for a double room range from 10 EUR/12 USD to more than 300 EUR a night. Travelers tend to spend, on average, 25 USD/21 EUR on meals for one day. Public transportation is cheap and reliable throughout the country.

Best time to visit

Weather-wise, it’s best to visit Montenegro during the summer, especially if you want to visit the coastline and go swimming in the Adriatic sea. However, as the temperatures and prices tend to be quite high and the streets rather crowded in July and August, consider traveling in late spring (April, May, June) or early autumn (September, October).

Environmental issues

Montenegro is a wonderful country, but it faces a lot of environmental challenges. Some of the most pressing environmental issues in Montenegro include water pollution from sewage outlets and untreated industrial wastewater, air pollution, waste management, and adaptation to climate change. In recent years Montenegro has suffered from massive heat waves. Lately, temperatures have been reaching up to 45°C during the summer. Extreme weather conditions cause severe droughts and floods threatening both farmland and urban zones. Recycling isn’t big in Montenegro. We didn’t see any recycling trash cans anywhere in the Bay of Kotor. In fact, statistics show that only 1% of municipal waste was recycled and 0% was composted in 2013 in Montenegro. Although they have a solid waste management plan set in place, they still have a long way to go.

196xLOVE

Found lots of LOVE in Montenegro. 😉 ♥

Love in Montenegro

Romance and adventure

Honeymoon rating of the visited destinations: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♡

Montenegro, or more specifically its coastline, is simply wow! Visiting the numerous stunning beaches and fairytale towns by boat must be an amazing adventure. But if you are on a tight budget you should consider exploring the shore by bike. It’s more eco-friendly and healthier as well. With its countless spectacular sights, romantic Mediterranean cities, scenic mountains, and gorgeous beaches we can hardly think of a better honeymoon destination. Make sure to take a stroll through the romantic town of Perast, to eat some delicious seafood, to go swimming in the beautiful Adriatic sea, and to see the beauty of the Bay of Kotor from above. 😉

* Note: This is NOT a general rating of the country, it is merely our personal opinion of the mentioned site(s) as honeymoon destinations, based on the level of tourism development, the number and quality of romantic and adventurous activities and sites it offers, and safety. We strongly believe that every country is beautiful in its own way, they may simply be more or less honeymoon oriented/friendly.

** Follow our journey on Instagram. 😉 There you can see our clean-up stories and check out our peace and sustainable tourism promo photos/videos. 😉

*** Use the form on the sidebar to subscribe to our newsletter and get a free customized e-postcard from every country! 🙂